IRON BONUS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 310, 24 September 1908, Page 7

IRON BONUS.

FEDERAL LIABILITIES AND REVENUE. LABOUR OPPOSITION. MR. WATSON PREFERS A DUTY. (Bt TELEGEAFH— PBESS ASSOCIATION—COPIhIOai;) Melbourne, Soptember 22. Tho Federal House adopted the Address-. in-Reply to the Governor-General's speech. The Government were pressed by Messrs., W. H. Irvine (Opposition) and J. C. Watson (Labour) to give sonio indication as to how they intended to finance tho various commit- ■ meats undertaken. Tho present outlook in : regard to finances was, they urged, serious, and there was' little prospect 'of obtaining more Customs revenue during the next two and a half years than. they were at present . obtaining. Mr. Deakin, Primo Minister, promised that the Federal Treasurer would make a statement' before tho Iron Bonus Bill was gone' on with! '••■■■ ■ Mr. Deakin moved later that the Bill be taken" up at the stage at which it was dropped last session, but unexpected opposition camo from tho Labour side of tho House. - ••• ' Mr. Watson expressed alarm, in view of the state of the Federal finances, at the in-' curring of an'expenditure of a quarter-of a million over this proposal. He preferred, with a great many, others, that the money should be provided by the imposition of a' ' 12£ per cent, duty against foreigners, and a 10 per cent. duty .against England. . Other Labour members favoured a duty instead of a bonus. • ' Further consideration of the matter was postponed. ' " 'INCREASING FEDERAL EXPENDITURE. It is no doubt easier to receive a dutv, than': to give a bonus, but Labour objections 'to the ■Iron Bonus .Bill would appear to bo founded • , on .something else, if a recent decision of the Sydney Labour Council may be taken, as anj. index. After considering the Iron Bonus Bill' and the, position of Messrs.. Hosking Bros' Lith- . gnw ironworks—where it is actuarially certified that a substantial loss is-being, made by the payment of current wages without tho aid : of a bonus—the Sydney Labour Council decided to protest against the proposed bonus to the' - Lithgow Ironworks. "The bonus," said one I delegate, "is for Hoskins Bros., and .for them alone." Another said that Labour could not go back on its policy of nationalising tho iron industry. During tho last.Federal session the.Labour' pairty' unsuccessfully endeavoured to ■' carry a nationalising motion, in preference to ' State aid. That Federal expenditure should increase as the central oxecutivo takes over more and more of those duties cither specifically delegated to it or. permitted to .it under the. Constitution was to have beon expected, says an : paper. What was not contemplated was the fact that side by side there should be increased State expenditure also. Hero are the figures as applying to the Commonwealth since Federating dafo, as compiled by tho AuditorGeneral:— ; J Per ' -I'■* ■ _ *- Amolint. "Inhabitant.

'Includes amount retained ''during June, and

placed to a Trust Account.

J! J! s. d. • 1901 (six months) ' 1,296,053 . — 1901-2 (twelve months)... 3,932,746 1 0 7 " 1902-3 „ „ ... 3,901,371 1 0 1 • 19034 „ „ ... 4,252,519 1 1 8 1901-5' 5" — '4,322,829 1 1 -8 - 1905-fi „ „ ' ... 4,497,542 1 2 2 . 1906-7 „ „ ... 4,987,317 1 4 3 1907-8 '* „ • -...,*6,158,893 1 9 4'